Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 68 · 93 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 vs Michelin Primacy 3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 1 + 2 road tests and 93 + 195 owner reviews. How we score
Primacy 3 leads, 71–69 Narrow edge
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Tests 73 · 2 tests Owners 67 · 195 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 20 in 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (wear)
“I have just put a new set of Michelin Primacy 3 T0 Acoustics on and they have been faultless. Lots of grip, very quiet etc. They were also good last year in the snow and were from blackcircles for about £240 a tyre.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
71
Dry
Primacy 3 +273Why this score
Source Ventus V12 evo2 Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests 71 74 Reviews found online 71 70 Ventus V12 evo2: 60% × 70.9 + 40% × 71.4 = 71
Primacy 3: 60% × 74.2 + 40% × 70 = 73
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71
Wet
Primacy 3 +172Why this score
Source Ventus V12 evo2 Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests 69 72 Reviews found online 73 72 Ventus V12 evo2: 60% × 69.2 + 40% × 73.1 = 71
Primacy 3: 60% × 71.9 + 40% × 72 = 72
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67
Comfort
Primacy 3 +168Why this score
Source Ventus V12 evo2 Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 66 68 Ventus V12 evo2: 40% × 68.5 (est.) + 60% × 65.6 = 67
Primacy 3: 40% × 68.9 (est.) + 60% × 67.9 = 68
No road tests of comfort for Ventus V12 evo2 or Primacy 3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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73
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Ventus V12 evo2 Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 78 – Reviews found online ≈ 67 (est.) – Ventus V12 evo2: 60% × 77.5 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 73
No owner ratings of noise for Ventus V12 evo2. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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61
Treadwear
Primacy 3 +667Why this score
Source Ventus V12 evo2 Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 63 (est.) 73 Reviews found online 58 57 Ventus V12 evo2: 60% × 63.4 (est.) + 40% × 58.3 = 61
Primacy 3: 60% × 73.1 + 40% × 56.8 = 67
No road tests of treadwear for Ventus V12 evo2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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70
Handling (owners)
Ventus V12 evo2 +268Why this score
Source Ventus V12 evo2 Primacy 3 Reviews found online 70 68
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 | Michelin Primacy 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 69 | 71 |
| Dry | 71 | 73 |
| Wet | 71 | 72 |
| Comfort | 67 | 68 |
| Noise | 73 | – |
| Treadwear | 61 | 67 |
| Handling (owners) | 70 | 68 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
69
/ 100
Ventus V12 evo2
71
/ 100
Primacy 3
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
| Discipline | Category | Ventus V12 evo2 | Primacy 3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 97% #4/5 · 2017 Car and Driver UHP Tyre Test | 100% #3/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 97% #4/5 · 2017 Car and Driver UHP Tyre Test | 99% #5/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 88% #4/5 · 2017 Car and Driver UHP Tyre Test | 95% #5/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 95% #4/5 · 2017 Car and Driver UHP Tyre Test | 97% #6/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #4/5 2017 Car and Driver UHP Tyre Test | #1/16 2018 ADAC Summer Tyre Test - 205/55 R16 | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Ventus V12 evo2
Pros
- Excellent value and cost-to-performance ratio compared to premium brands
- Strong, reliable grip in both dry and wet conditions with good aquaplaning resistance
- Comfortable ride with low initial road noise
Cons
- Soft sidewalls can cause a floaty feel or roll during aggressive cornering and track use
- Road noise increases noticeably as the tires wear down
- Treadwear is relatively fast, leading to shorter overall mileage
Tire B Primacy 3
Pros
- Exceptional ride comfort and low noise levels
- Strong dry grip and confident handling
- Smooth, refined high-speed stability and cruising capability
Cons
- Higher than average purchase price
- Faster-than-expected tread wear reported by many users
- Mixed feedback on wet weather performance, with some noting a lack of grip in standing water or snow
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Hankook Ventus V12 evo2
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Mixed
Michelin Primacy 3
Community members generally view the Michelin Primacy 3 as a quiet, smooth, and capable grand touring tire, with several users highlighting the run-flat (ZP) version as superior in comfort to competing run-flats. However, some drivers report fast tread wear, a harsh ride compared to standard non-run-flat alternatives, and note that the model is older and increasingly replaced by newer generations like the Primacy 4.
r/BMWi3
·7 upvotes ·2022-04-22
“So I have decided there is no way I am paying for the Bridgestone Ecopias at over £200 a tyre, and as such, I have come across the Michelin Primacy 3 on Costco, which I can get fitted for approx £93 a tyre (I only need two on the rear) They seem to have good reviews. My actual tyre size for my i3S should be 195/50 R20, but getting 195/55 R20 instead should only add up to another inch or so in height, so I'm reckoning I should be okay. What are people's thoughts?”
bobistheoilguy.com
·1 upvote ·2021-06-22
“As Slacktide said Primacy 3 is a grand touring summer tire that has been replaced by the Primacy 4 (some three years ago). It's been quite popular in Europe and tire availability/choice in NA/Europe differ greatly. I'd still recommend both Primacy 3 & 4 if you're looking for a smooth riding summer tire. The Pilot Sport 2 (PS2) has been a great ultra high performance tire some 15 years ago and I had these at that time, but it has been replaced by the PS3, PS4 and the even sportier Pilot SuperSport (PSS) and PS4S. If you want something more performance than the Primacy, I'd consider the PS4. I'm currently running the PS4 on my 911 (205 & 245 16 without Porsche spec) and the PSS both on my Cooper (205/45 R17 BMW/Mini spec) and my GTI (225/40 R18 HN spec). So some kind of a 'Michelin fan' too.”
mbworld.org
“Continental DWS06 Plus non-runflats, going on my car next week. Have had OEM Michelin Primacy 3's and they are like driving on bricks. I also ordered an OEM donut spare and jack kit for the trunk. Jack kit goes in lower compartment, spare kept under the horizontal floor net (Coupe).”
Top themes
#Run-flat ride quality#Tread wear and longevity#Touring comfort and low noise#Model obsolescence and replacements#OE fitment and regional availability#Price and size compatibility
Based on 23 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 | B · Michelin Primacy 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 38 | 42 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 21″ | 15″ – 20″ |
| Sizes in common | 9 | 9 |
Which one should you actually buy?
69
/ 100
Hankook Ventus V12 evo2
71
/ 100
Michelin Primacy 3
Narrow edge: Michelin Primacy 3 — better treadwear. Where the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Primacy 3 scores 67 vs 61 on treadwear.
Tire A · Hankook Ventus V12 evo2
Tire B · Michelin Primacy 3
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Ventus V12 evo2 or Primacy 3?
Which is better in the wet, Ventus V12 evo2 or Primacy 3?
Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 72 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ventus V12 evo2 or Primacy 3?
Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 73 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Ventus V12 evo2 or Primacy 3?
Neither, by our numbers: 67 vs 68 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, Ventus V12 evo2 or Primacy 3?
Michelin Primacy 3, 67 vs 61 on our treadwear score.
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.
Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology